Lessons Learned
by Jaina88
Summary: Emma is just starting highschool but finds out that the lessons learned outside the classroom are often more important then those learned inside.
1. Chapter 1

Emma was unsure about her first day of high school. She had heard two very different versions of the place and was afraid that it wouldn't be her mother's version of Lincoln High but her father's that she would experience. See she wasn't exactly the miniature of her mom that everyone had expected her to be. It was weird because it was her older brother Ben that had turned out to be like her mother even though he was not in the least actually related to her, in fact she had only really entered his life nine years ago, he had been thirteen at the time, and Emma had been five.

"Something in your cereal must be very interesting"

Emma looked up to see her father standing over her and then cast her look back down at the multi-coloured Os in her cereal and nodded.

"Oh come on, tell your old dad what's wrong" he said pulling up a chair beside her

"I don't want to go to Lincoln high" Emma muttered "Aunt Monica always tells me how people treated her there are also how they treated you and I'm like you and not like mom and I don't think the others will like me"

"But you have friends already going into school; you don't have to worry about that"

"That's not true! Jack and Erica are still in grade seven and I don't really have any close friends besides them"

Ross sighed. He wanted to assure her that she would find friends at Lincoln high but he wasn't sure. She was right kids can be cruel and unfortunately for Emma though she had inherited her mother's looks she had also inherited her father's interest for science and it was that that took over Emma's image and focus. Though his daughter was brilliant he could see how advanced math and science in grade nine was no comfort when facing the realities of the social aspect of high school especially when her two best friends were still two years away from being a part of her high school life.

"Tell you what, once a week, whenever you chose, I will pick you up at lunch hour and take you out for lunch, a special treat from dad and of course you know that you can always call me if you need too, I will be there in seconds no matter when you call."

Emma smiled, her dad always knew what would make her feel better and she felt better knowing she had his support. She knew he could have tried to just tell her that she would be fine and would make friends eventually but he didn't because he knew that it was possible that it might be a long time before she did. At that thought she frowned again. "Thank you dad, I hope I do make friends though."

"You never know, there may be a whole crowd of science and math geeks for you to hang out with. There are a lot more people in high school then in middle school and you may just find it is really easy to make friends once you find the right people. Now you can't go to class in your pyjamas so get yourself ready!"

The other woman in Ross' life came snuck in behind him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "You handled that really well" she said and accompanied the statement with a soft kiss where his neck meets his shoulder. "I could never had made her feel better the way you did"

"That's not true. You're her mother, even if you share different interests she will always be attached to you because of that"

"I just don't feel that connection that you insist is there."

"She's a teenager; her mother is the last person she wants to talk to about anything. Wait until she is a little older. Just don't become my mother and you'll be fine"

Rachel couldn't help but laugh. She knew that Ross was referencing the relationship that his sister and Rachel's best friend Monica had with her mother. "I have no plans on becoming Judy"

"Well then you're fine. Now why is it that you are still in your bathrobe?"

"Not feeling well, I plan to call into work today."

"Do you want me to stay with you?" Ross asked, concerned.

"No, no, go to work, I just think I'm going to stay home and sleep today."

"Alright but call me if you need anything. Soup, Kleenex, someone to rub your back or change the channel, anything"

"I assure you, I will be fine. Now go to work, while I go to bed" Rachel padded back to the left bedroom. She and Ross had decided that they wanted to remain in the city but Ross' apartment just hadn't been big enough for the family so they had put in an application for a certain purple apartment that could be seen from the window. It had made everyone so happy to have the apartment that had held so many memories back. Ben had moved in with Joey across the hall while he attended classes at NYU. It was good because it gave Ben his own space while still being near at least part of his family, not that Carol and Susan were all that far away. This arrangement also gave Emma a chance to be able to get away from her parents from time to time, which was important considering Emma was quickly becoming a teenager. Something that Rachel could hardly believe.

"Well I am off to work. Emma I will drop by your school at what time?" Ross called out from the doorway.

Emma stepped out of her room, her golden hair smoothly framing her face and falling to about her shoulders. A haircut that Ross thought he had seen many times before on Emma's mother, it astonished him that his daughter looked so exactly like her mother. The way you could tell she was not just a miniature was the fitted t-shirt that displayed the phrase _I wish I was your derivative so I could lie tangent to your curves,_ the baggy jeans and beat up keds. "Lunch is at 11:45, can you give me a ride to school, it's right on the way"

"Oh alright, well come on then"

Emma grabbed her backpack, and then dashed off to her parent's room. "Bye mom, I will see you tonight, wish me luck at school"

Rachel smiled, as a teenager she would never have been caught dead in a look as unstylish as what her daughter wore, but it didn't matter because she also never had the passion that her daughter had or the caring. "Have a good day, good luck, I am sure you will do fine" she stood and walked over to her daughter and kissed her on the top of the head. "Now you have to get go going or you and your father will be late"

"Bye Rache, I love you honey" Ross said Ross accompanying it with a kiss on the cheek

"I love you too honey" Rachel returned the kiss and then the door closed behind her husband and daughter.

"Back to bed" Rachel sighed crawling into bed picking up the magazine next to her and snuggling down under the covers.


	2. Chapter 2

Emma was grateful for the freshmen assembly that was to start off the day. She made it there on time and found a seat. A couple people she knew from middle school said hi to her as they passed by, off to sit with their own groups of friends but no one made an effort to sit with her. The assembly was quick and involved an introduction to the student government and what sports one could try out for. They were told the clubs would have booths set up in the gym later that day and then homeroom teachers rallied their classes together and went to their homerooms. It was at homeroom that Emma finally received her schedule. She was happy to see that her first class was science and soon she found herself behind a lab bench.

Emma had decided to take advanced classes in science and math. Later in her high school career she knew she would be in advanced placement classes. Despite being in an advanced class the first class seemed dull. The teacher went over details of lab safety and explained what would go on in the class. There were not a whole lot of people in her class, she counted twenty. Advanced classes were not requirements for the advanced placement classes later on so many people did not bother to take them only the students that were really into the subject. Emma was alone at her lab bench; she knew she should try to make friends as these people would be the most likely sources of friendship as they were into the same stuff but she couldn't help but be shy. When the teacher announced that they would be choosing lab partners during the next class Emma knew she would dread the next day. She'd end up with someone but they wouldn't actually want to be her partner, she would just be the one left over. As the class was over she began to pack up her stuff, while checking her schedule to find out where she needed to go next. She didn't even notice the young man that had walked up beside her until he spoke.

"Hi, I'm Gus"

The voice slammed her back into what was going on around her. "Oh uh hi" she replied unsure who it was that she was talking to, she had missed his name, if he had given it

"My brother runs a science club here, he's a sophomore, it's for advanced students only. The older kids are all advanced placement but us younger ones are welcome as well. We meet at lunch time, you should come. I talked to a few others they're gunna come too."

"I am having lunch with my dad today, he is really excited about it, he took my older brother out for lunch the first day of high school too and he wants to continue the tradition." Emma lied, it wasn't that she didn't want to join in with the club but she was shy about it. It seemed weird that people were so open, it scared her a little.

"Does your brother go to this school?" Gus pressed on, he had asked a few other people to come join the club but it was the quiet beautiful one at the back of the class that had interested him. She looked how he felt, scared and yet it didn't make sense to him that she would be. She looked like the type of person who would have more friends then she could count and would be spending time with the queen bees that would be in advanced placement classes later on but at this point only cared about partying. It didn't make sense, so he wanted to learn more.

"He did. He's in his last year at NYU now."

"Cool."

"Which is also where my dad teaches" this statement surprised Emma; she didn't usually volunteer this information. People tended to think that she was only working hard to impress her father if she volunteered this information. She didn't want people to think that. She worked hard and got good grades by herself for herself.

"Oh? What's he teach?"

"Palaeontology"

"Your last name was Gellar right? That's what the teacher said right?"

"Yeah" replied Emma, realizing he probably knew who her father was, this was a reaction that she would get from her dad's students but never from someone this young.

"Your dad is Dr. Ross Gellar?"

"Yeah"

"Wow, that is so cool!"

"That's hardly the reaction I usually get" Emma laughed, then immediately blushed afterwards realizing that for some reason she was letting her guard down which bothered her

"My brother will want to talk to you. He wants so badly to be in your dad's classes in he makes it in to NYU when he applies next year. He loves palaeontology"

Emma smiled. "It will be nice to meet him. Let him know next week I will certainly drop by"

"Sounds like a plan. Have fun with your dad" Gus turned to leave.

"Wait, what was your name again?" Emma called out realizing she had managed to miss that entirely

"Gus"

"Well nice to meet you, I'm Emma"

"Cool. See ya round"


	3. Chapter 3

Rachel hadn't been in bed long when she started to feel nauseous. Soon she was throwing back the covers and dashing to the bathroom. She made it in time to grab her hair in one fist and lean or the toilet. Rachel got to her feet and dampened a cloth and washed her face and made her way to the kitchen for a glass of water. Her hand drifted to her midsection. She wasn't really sure why she hadn't told Ross about this yet. He had dealt so well with Emma when they hadn't even wanted a child, now that they were actually trying for a child a success should have been something she would excitedly share with him right away but she just didn't seem to want to.

She expected it was because of her relationship with her daughter. She loved Emma but didn't really feel a connection with her, not the way her husband did. Camaraderie seemed to be easy for Ross and Emma but Rachel just didn't feel like she could relate. She felt like a failed parent and would not be able to take it if the same thing happened with the child she was carrying. That would break her heart. She was scared that this child would break her heart.

This was of course no reason not to tell Ross, and of course Emma but something did seem to be keeping her from doing this. Something just felt wrong. She didn't want to let Ross down and if she told him that she was pregnant and something happened, then she would break his heart which she didn't want either. She had for awhile considered ending the pregnancy herself. It would be an easy way to keep from having the heart break she was sure she would feel but she knew that doing that would bring a whole new set of heartbreak that she wouldn't be able to share. No one would understand why a happily married woman would want an abortion. Even more then that she knew that if she were just worrying over nothing she would be killing a chance for so much joy.

She couldn't help but be reminded of when Emma was born. In that moment she had felt her heart might explode with love for the infant in her arms. She wanted that again. She just hoped that maybe this time she wouldn't feel as distant from her child as she got older.

"I need to tell Ross" she murmured to herself, she picked up the phone and started to dial, "Hello, Dr. Gellar speaking, how can I help?"

"Ross, hi, it's me"

"You sound upset, why are you upset? I'm on my way home."

"I'm not upset, but yes please do" Rachel replied, she couldn't help but smile at the fact that he would rush right home in a moment for her even without a reason

"On my way" Ross said and then hung up.

Rachel returned to bed. She was tired. She had only known for two weeks or so, but it was the secret that she was sure was weighing her down and not the pregnancy itself because it hadn't been like that last time.

_Alright so I changed the rating because I feel as soon as you mention abortion that it excludes a large portion of a younger audience because it is such a serious topic and I will also add Rachel will not be getting an abortion she has decided against it firmly...In regards to rating:I don't plan to start swearing or talking about sex or anything so if you feel comfortable with this chapter then continue reading of course._


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